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The Senate began consideration this week of the FY 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations legislation. Congress has failed to enact any of the appropriations bills necessary to fund the federal government in FY 2012, and the stop gap continuing resolution currently in place expires on Nov. 18. The transportation appropriations bill has been consolidated with two other appropriations bills in an attempt to expedite the process. A final vote on the legislation is expected late tonight or tomorrow.

The General Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week reporting that from 2005 to 2009 states received more from the Highway Trust Fund than they contributed in proceeds of the 18.4 cents per gallon gas tax. “Every state received more funding for highway programs than they contributed to the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund,” the GAO report said. The report pointed out that Congress provided general fund revenue of almost $30 billion since fiscal 2008 to meet funding demands that once were covered by the Highway Trust Fund.

On Oct. 12, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing on a key component of President Obama’s America’s Jobs Act – the creation of a national infrastructure bank.  The president’s infrastructure bank plan calls for a one-time appropriation to help finance transportation, water, and energy infrastructure projects.  �鶹��ý has long supported the creation of a national infrastructure bank as a supplement to traditional funding. We also believe the priority should be to fully fund existing programs and utilize current financing tools available to finance transportation infrastructure projects.

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) wrote to President Obama this week to urge him to keep the current Hours of Service rules for truck drivers in place. This action follows a similar letter sent last week by House T & I Chairman John Mica (R-Fla) and other members of the T&I Committee leadership expressing concern about the proposal to alter the existing rules.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has scheduled a hearing for next week to address the Obama administration's proposal to create a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB). T&I Committee Chairman John Mica, (R-Fla) has expressed skepticism in the past about the concept of a NIB and again reiterated his concern. President Obama included in his jobs proposal a request for $10 billion to create a National Infrastructure Bank.

Emissions from diesel construction equipment will be significantly reduced at major highway projects in the most polluted areas, thanks to the Clean Construction Act of 2011 introduced today by Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.). �鶹��ý and the non-profit Clean Air Task Force (CATF) signaled their strong support for the bipartisan legislation that would provide state transportation officials the authority and funding to incorporate the use of clean construction equipment on federally-funded transportation projects in PM2.5 Nonattainment and Maintenance areas.

Register today for �鶹��ý’s 2011 Highway and Utilities Contractors Issues Meeting to be held in Indian Wells, California, Nov. 10-12, 2011.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla) joined with Highway Subcommittee Chairman Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn); Railroads, Pipelines and Hazmat Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa) ; and Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo) in a letter to President Obama expressing concern about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) proposed changes to the hours of service rules for truck drivers.

�鶹��ý participated in a stakeholder meeting with House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) this week where he updated the group on his plans for moving forward with multi-year transportation reauthorization legislation. Chairman Mica advised that the House Republican leadership has given the green light to finding additional Highway Trust Fund revenue sufficient to maintain current funding levels for the highway and transit programs over the next six years. While an increase in the motor fuels tax has been ruled out and no other specific revenue sources have been identified, this was nevertheless greeted as a very positive development.

Sept. 21, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved Fiscal Year 2012 funding for the highway and transit programs at the same level as FY 2011. In addition, the bill provides an additional $1.9 billion in emergency relief funding and $550 million for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants Program. These funding levels contrast significantly from the bill approved earlier by the House transportation appropriations subcommittee which set funding at far lower levels. Those funding levels adhere to the principles set in a budget resolution passed in the House earlier this year, which directed that highway and transit funding be set at levels supported by Highway Trust Fund revenue.